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Alarad
THE FOUNDING AND RISE OF ALARAD Alarad began as a small city-state under the rule of Lord Kurlac of Akrath. In its early days, Alarad was known for its centers of learning. The kingdom grew so rapidly that some immigrants were refused citizenship because of a lack of space. At last, the aging Lord Kurlac constructed the cities of Kalaris and Kurdrac (now Al-Ame'Nrac) to ease the strain of a growing population. Even into the days of Kurlac's son Kirdrac, Alarad was growing rapidly in power. Within 80 years of its founding, Alarad rivaled Akrath and Wyrmenhard in both military and economic strength. Kalaris also soon became a prosperous port city. Goods and merchants poured into the new kingdom, transforming Alarad from a small offshoot of the Akrathian Empire into an independent country. THE GOLDEN AGE The reign of King Aladrac the Great, the grandson of Kurlac, is generally considered the Golden Age of Alarad. He made permanent changes to Alarad's military and government which solidified the Alaradian's place in the world. Aladrac the Great is remembered mainly for being a warrior. He drove back the enemies of Alarad, and defeated several feudal chieftains who were raiding the countryside. After the Second Battle of Dormad, the goblins retreated into their caves, leaving Alarad in peace. During the Golden Age, many mariners were sent to explore the far reaches of the world. Many returned with grand stories of mountains of gold, and rivers of gems. None of these legends were ever proved, but the King did found a colony on the Nar'Miran Isles in the east. Many countries were brought under Alarad's influence, all the way from Nar'Miran to Karnfrost and Urnivaness. The region of Dorbad was ceded to Alarad by Akrath during this time. This was the first sign of Akrath's impending collapse. Nevertheless, Aladrac accepted the gift, but he was distracted quite suddenly when the goblins of Urk-Had declared war against Alarad. This war with the goblins was a major factor in Akrath's fall, as it prevented Aladrac from sending the necessary aid to King Narudram. THE HARINYAR The Harinyar, or "Fall of the Firstborn", refers to the strange disappearance of the people of Akrath during the reign of Aladrac II. After the war with the goblins of Urk-Had, Aladrac the Great caught a severe fever. He died not long afterwards. His son, also named Aladrac, was left to finish the war. A truce between Alarad and Urk-Had was obtained following the Battle of Dorgeon, and Aladrac immediately turned his attention towards Akrath's war against Kaleiri. Several of Akrath's most formidable allies had sided with Kaleiri, and Akrath was slowly losing ground in every battle. Aladrac gathered 400,000 of his best soldiers together, and they began the slow march to Akrath. However, rough terrain and local bands of goblin raiders made crossing the Alaradian wastes impossible. Aladrac then retreated to Elcasis, where he and his Regent decided that the fastest way to King Leiran's aid would be to sail from Kalaris across the Sea of Enrac. The march to Kalaris was fairly easy, and no wild tribes impaired the King's plans. But when the army reached Kalaris, they discovered the city in flames. Hundreds of thousands of citizens were fleeing the city. Aladrac had no choice but to let the city burn to the ground. After nearly two weeks, the flames had subsided enough to where the soldiers could continue to the Kalarian docks. All the ships had been destroyed by roving bands of pirates. Aladrac set his men to work on constructing a new fleet. After a six month delay, Aladrac made ready to sail. His new ships carried his warriors quickly across the Sea of Enrac towards Akrath. The fleet landed in the Akrathian harbor, but the city was deserted. Aladrac conducted many long searches throughout the region for any sign of the Akrathian people. At last, he returned to Alarad, where he commissioned the city of Kalaris to be rebuilt. THE YEARS OF UNREST In Alarad, almost 1000 years after its founding, the new King Thardorm the Cruel began to randomly torture and murder Alaradian citizens. He sent his soldiers throughout the kingdom, burning any villages where people opposed him. Some political enemies of Thardorm gathered together a small rebel force, and proceeded to march against the Alaradian stronghold of Dormad, which they took with little resistance. When word reached Thardorm, he sent his entire army to destroy the rebels. This was done, but the Rebels of Dormad resisted bravely, until nearly half of Thardorm's army had been killed. Thardorm then pleaded for help from the Lord Protector of Kaleiri to help crush the rebels. Together, the combined forces of Kaleiri and Alarad marched on Dormad, where they were nearly victorious. However, the Lord Protector betrayed Thardorm and turned on him in battle. The Rebels of Dormad were soon forgotten about, as Kaleirians and Alaradians turned on each other. The army of Alarad prevailed at last, but King Thardorm was killed from a stray arrow during the battle. The soldiers of Alarad marched back home dispirited, leaving the Rebels of Dormad to their own devices. The next king to take the throne was Thardorm's youngest son, Turgorm the Simple. During Turgorm's reign, goblins ran unchecked through the northlands and the Rebels of Dormad declared independence, while Kaleiri took the city of Kurdrac and established the cities of Ali-Aji'Rah and An-Akala. Turgorm also allowed many of the evils his father had begun to continue. He was finally murdered by one of his own Royal Guards. THE YEARS OF WATCHFUL SILENCE After the "Years of Unrest", there came a period of time, known among the people as "The Years of Watchful Silence" where there was peace, but every man had a weapon on hand, just in case. During this time, the goblins of Urk-Had conquered and enslaved the people of Ajurah. The people of Dormad made no contact with the outside world, save to trade goods. Over 500 years passed in this way. THE FALL OF ALARAD The Watchful Silence ended when the goblins of Urk-Had and the men of Ajurah declared war on Alarad. Alarad's army had slowly deteriorated, and was not strong enough to fight all of the eastern cities at once, so King Arcastle III summoned the help of King Hurath of Dormad, who led his army to help the Alaradians. The armies of the west met the armies of the east on the Plains of Durkath. The battle there lasted for 2 years, before the armies of Dormad and Urk-Had were eradicated, and the last remnant of men from Ajurah and Alarad fled to the mountains, never again to return to their beloved cities. RELATED LINKS The Kings of Alarad Major Wars The History of the Akrathian Empire